Criminal Investigations
An NYC Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Explain Your Rights
If you are being contacted by a police officer or federal agent regarding a crime or a so called "incident," you are probably the focus of a criminal investigation. The worst thing you could do under these circumstances is meet with the law enforcement officer without first getting the advice of an experienced criminal defense lawyer.
Speaking with law enforcement will not help you. You should NOT answer any of the officer’s questions, because doing so could be helping them build a case against you. You have a legal right to remain silent and should do so until you speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer. If you believe that you are being investigated by law enforcement, do not wait until the situation gets worse or spirals out of control.
Common Questions - Criminal Investigations
- The investigators want to schedule an interview. Should I go? - Not without proper legal representation! Anything you say to an investigator or detective is fair game to be used against you in the court of law. They will do everything that they can to have you self-incriminate, so you need to have a heavyweight on your side who will shield you from such outcomes.
- What are the Miranda rights? - Also referred to as the Miranda warning, your Miranda rights is a warning that must be read to you by law enforcement if you are placed into police custody. This will alert you to all of the rights that you have under the law – namely, the right to remain silent, that anything you say can be used against you, that you have the right to have an attorney present and that if you are unable to afford one, you will have one appointed.
- What if my Miranda rights weren't read to me? - This would be seen as a breach in police protocol. In these cases, anything that you say could be thrown out. This will not throw out the criminal charges or invalidate the arrest – it will only make any statements you made suppressed and not to be used against you in the court of law.
I'm under investigation – what should I do?
Almost as frightening as being officially arrested is being under criminal investigation as it can be unsettling to not know where you stand. For this reason, it is in your best interests to immediately get the involvement of a criminal lawyer. Even if you have not been officially charged, you do not want to wait until the last second to begin protecting your rights. You need to act immediately to ensure that you are being given the most aggressive form of protection from the very beginning.
Do not make the mistake of thinking investigators are your friend. They are there to do their job – find enough evidence to incriminate you. So exercise your constitutional right to remain silent. Anything that you say can be used against you, and you should assume that it will be. Therefore, the best thing that you can do is say nothing. This is not the time to try and talk your way out of it or convince the investigator that you are innocent. Even the smallest thing you say could be twisted to be used against you.
Get an Experienced Criminal Defender On Your Side
By getting an attorney involved, you will be giving yourself yet another level of protection. At our firm, we will be able to help protect you against self-incrimination to give you the resources that you need. We will ensure that you do not give anything to them that could be used against you and will help ensure that your rights are violated. We will be able to determine what is the best course of action (such as whether or not negotiating or settling with law enforcement is a good idea), and can immediately begin gathering evidence on our own to get a head start in building your defense.
Want to know more? Don't wait until it's too late! Get the involvement of our firm today and we will be able to step up to protect your legal rights. We have years of experience and have successfully handled thousands of cases before. You can be confident knowing that we will stop at nothing in our efforts to provide the thorough and high-quality representation that you truly deserve.
If you would like to discuss your case with a member of our firm, please do not hesitate to contact us today.
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